BMF Roundtable: 2013-14 NBA Playoffs Edition

First you saw the general Baller Mind Frame 2013-14 NBA Playoffs Predictions post (Oh, you didn’t? Well, HERE it is), so now let’s dig deeper into the answers of six questions posed to a gathering of BMF writers: Mohamed Mohamed, TJ Macias, Mike Bitanga and Drew Creasman.

[tps_title]Which team is coming in strong for the NBA Playoffs?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: It’s relatively no surprise that sports analysts claim that the Oklahoma City Thunder should be considered deadly in the West and they’re already shouting “Kevin Durant, MVP!” from the rooftops. After Russell Westbrook was benched last year with a knee injury during the first round, the Thunder lost dismally to the Memphis Grizzlies in the semifinals. But now the combination of the healthy Westbrook and the fatal Durant could spell d-o-o-m for the Grizzlies during this first round and lift OKC into the NBA Finals. Durant shot 50.3 percent overall this season and averaged 30.7 points in all four games against Memphis this year (OKC took three of those four meetings), so the forward is definitely a shoo-in for his first MVP award if he’s able to scoot his team PAST the number one seeded San Antonio Spurs if they meet in the West.

CREASMAN: The Toronto Raptors didn’t just grab the third seed in the East because of the abhorrent level of competition…that that didn’t hurt. Kyle Lowrie is playing at a high level and like DeMarr DeRozen said on SVP and Rusillo recently, anyone could step up for this team at any given time.

The Raptors have the nobody-believes-in-us-except-us factor going. They are capable of getting contributions from everyone on that squad down to Steve Novak (if they need a big shot) and one thing is for sure; the Raptors aren’t scared.

BITANGA: The Chicago Bulls have won eight of their last 10 games, and Tom Thibodeau’s “we have enough to win” mindset has helped to keep them comfortably afloat. Joakim Noah is playing his best basketball, Taj Gibson has stepped into the role of the sixth man spark with great success, and Jimmy Butler is a defensive specialist that can handle the opposing team’s top scorer. In addition, they also have D.J. Augustin, who seems like he’ll take on a pivotal offensive role in the playoffs, along with a great supporting cast that’s on the same page.

MOHAMED: I’m not sure what the definition of “far” is, but does pushing a higher seed to 6/7 games in the first round count? If so, I really like the Bobcats. For the whole year, we’ve been waiting for their defense to decline back to mediocrity, scoffing at the idea that a team with Al Jefferson prominently involved could have a top 10 defense, yet here we are. I think their offense will be their undoing, and I worry about the drain Kemba will have from the Heat’s blitzing defense if they play them as the 7 seed, but don’t be surprised to see Big Al run rampant and throw up some 30/10s.

Featured image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.

[tps_title]Which team is coming in weak into the postseason?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: Seriously – does anyone even know that Atlanta Hawks even exist? I’m thinking not so you’re being a little fast and loose with the word “disappoint”. Given, they won seven of their last 10 games which puts them on a hot streak, and even won over the first seeded Pacers, who they face in the first round.

But really, every team not named “the Heat” in the East could be replaced by blind high school students and no one would know the difference.

CREASMAN: Indiana Pacers. When your best player (Paul George) looks like he is either lost or would rather be anywhere but on a basketball court much of the time, it is hard to have much confidence in a team going into the hardest part of the schedule; the NBA playoffs.

It also doesn’t help that Roy Hibbert seems to have lost his edge. Maybe he found his inner peace or has been doing yoga. Either way, Hibbert needs to find a mean streak and the Pacers need to find some chemistry or they could be in for a rude awakening in the 2014 playoffs.

BITANGA: The Indiana Pacers have hit a slump they can’t entirely get out of. Sure they secured their top seed spot in the Eastern Conference, since Miami Heat lost to the Washington Wizards, but they’ve only won four out of their last 10 games. In their last 20 games, the team’s points per game have decreased by 10. What they’re dealing with: Roy Hibbert isn’t playing to his potential, Paul George is having offensive woes and the team in general isn’t playing with their usual chemistry. The level of play in the post-season will be more competitive, and the Pacers will have the difficult task of getting things together in that high-intensity atmosphere. How you finish should be better than how you start, and that doesn’t look like the case for the Pacers.

MOHAMED: In some ways it isn’t their fault, with injuries to Lee and especially Bogut fatally damaging what hope they had of a first round upset, but I find it hard to pick anyone but the Warriors. Their offense has been slightly above average for the full season though it’s been much better since the all star break. I just find it really difficult to see how the Warriors can protect the rim at a decent enough level, especially if they play the Clippers unless the trio of Iguodala/Thompson/Green can stifling perimeter defense to the point where it’s good enough to compensate.

[tps_title]Which NBA player will shine during the NBA Playoffs?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle sees something in rookie Shane Larkin, so much so that he puts him in during crucial minutes and covets over him during practices – and it’s hard to argue with a coach as strong as Carlisle. He’s clearly setting him up for something much larger in the post season.

CREASMAN: Chandler Parsons. When you think of guys like Robert Horry, Tayshaun Prince, or even last year’s Danny Green, a pattern starts to emerge that I think Chandler Parsons fits well. They are guys with length who can sink treys off of the more dramatically collapsed defenses in the playoffs and can excel in big moments.

As teams try to lock down the paint against the Rockets scary front-line (captained by Dwight Howard), Parsons will get his open looks and I’m betting he knocks them down. He also has the energy and athleticism that plays well in the intensified playoff atmosphere and is likely to get home crowds rockin’ if he gets going.

BITANGA: D.J. Augustin has made some noise in the regular season, especially with his 33 point night at TD Garden. He knows how to orchestrate the offense of the Bulls, and can get his own points when needed. Thibodeau has utilized the Kirk Hinrich and D.J. Augustin one-two punch with great success down the stretch, although Augustin shines the most in the combo. In his last 10 games, he’s averaged 19 points, 5.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds per contest, shooting 44.7 percent from the field. In the last 10 games for the Bulls, Augustin has led the team seven times in either points or assists.

MOHAMED: I love me some D.J. Augustin. I’m actually pretty surprised to see that Augustin has kept up his efficiency over a 60 game sample size for the Bulls, especially from the three point line, but it’s speaks to how Tom Thibodeau is a point guard whisperer, and the effect of having a second chance at a team that needed a specific skill set. I can’t wait for him to play in the playoffs again, particularly because he was awful last year.

[tps_title]Which team will win the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: A cardboard cutout or the Brooklyn Nets. The obvious choice here would be the Miami Heat, but screw that, I’m going with the six seeded Nets. Even though they had a bipolar year, they come up big when it counts and are great under pressure (where it counts the most) thanks to head coach Jason Kidd.

CREASMAN: I don’t even know who the Miami Heat’s closest competition in the East is. Part of me wonders if the Heat are disappointed that Derrick Rose got hurt (again) the Knicks turned into a dumpster fire, and the rest of the conference has done little to inspire fear. They could have used the practice.

When things come down to it, the Heat have to win games against grown professional men with pride and they will have to show up and perform. But sans an injury to LeBron James, if the Heat don’t win the East, it will be one of the biggest upsets in modern NBA history.

BITANGA: The Miami Heat are looking to hit a three-peat this season, and with Lebron James leading the way, there’s no stopping them in the East. It also helps that that the Indiana Pacers have broken down, since they were the Heat’s only major threat. The rest of the East doesn’t really have the tools to beat the Heat in a playoff series. They are the reigning and defending NBA Champions, and in a weak Eastern Conference, they should have no real problems making it to the NBA Finals this year.

MOHAMED: Yikes, I was hoping to avoid this question till… ever considering how the top seeds have been lately, but since I have to pick one, I’ll pick the Pacers. I realize how much of a soap opera they’ve been since the all star break, I realize that their offense until recently had as much efficiency as a clogged toilet, but two things to consider: first is that what the Heat are trying to accomplish is nearly unprecedented in the modern era. Trying to make four straight finals hasn’t been done since Larry Legend did so from 1984-87. We saw the Lakers fizzle out in spectacular fashion in 2011 in part because of exhaustion. Also, as Jacob Frankel illustrated on Hickory High, post all star break performance isn’t the best indicator of future playoff success, though the Pacers might be pushing it too far.

[tps_title]Which team will win the NBA Western Conference Playoffs?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: I’m pretty sure I made my case answering my first question. If Durant and OKC are able to put the Spurs in their place and take the West, they have a chance at beating whomever they face from the East in the finals.

CREASMAN: I’m going a little outside-the-box on this one with the Houston Rockets. I still see the potential for Oklahoma City to fold either under a possible injury or because they get tight (and are poorly coached) in stressful moments. I’m also taking a shot in the dark that the San Antonio Spurs can’t keep pulling the rabbit out of their hat.

That leaves me with a Houston Rockets team anchored by many NBA pundits favorite punching bag, Dwight Howard. Howards supporting cast is better than it was when he took Orlando to the finals and they are a far more talented version of the Raptors mentality of “no one believes in us.”

They have a smart coach, a beast in the middle, and a creator on the perimeter who can score from anywhere in James Harden. I could see them causing match-up problems for both San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

BITANGA: The Los Angeles Clippers may surprise many and pound their way to the top of the Western Conference. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have evolved this year, CP3 is healthy, and Doc Rivers has some ring savvy in the post-season. They’ll possibly meet the Golden State Warriors in the first round, in which they’ve split the four games they had against each other in the regular season. They may also run into the Oklahoma City Thunder, who they are 2-2 against as well. The Western Conference seems to be a pretty close run, but I’ll give the Clippers the advantage because of their chemistry, their hunger for a first championship, Doc Rivers seating in the seat he’s in, and their drive to get rid of those selfie-banners.

MOHAMED: The Spurs. They’re the best team in the NBA. They were the best team last year. Gregg Popovich is perhaps the best coach in the Modern era of basketball in terms of realizing how to pace through the regular season. No player is playing over 30 minutes per game. They’ve gone big, small, hybrid, any sort of lineup imaginable that shmucks like me can think of. They were 16-0 in March with a NetRtg of 16.6 . I’m intrigued to see how the Spurs handle the length and athleticism of the Thunder, though two years is a long time and the Spurs might be good enough to handle that challenge considering how the Thunder have changed as well.

[tps_title]Which team will win the NBA Finals and be named the NBA Champions?[/tps_title]

MACIAS: Oklahoma City Thunder. LeBron who? Kevin Durant, MVP!

CREASMAN: This would be a lot closer if the question was Miami Heat vs. the field. I might take the field…but still probably not. Miami has the greatest living athlete, a top 5 coach, two and a half other good to great basketball players, and several solid role players. It would take a catastrophe to keep them out of the finals.

At that point anything can happen, but the most likely thing is that the best team assembled in a long time goes home with a third straight NBA Championship.

BITANGA: The Miami Heat will three-peat. It just has a nice ring to it. It’s the safest bet to make, although I can also see the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder or Los Angeles Clippers taking it all even though they have slimmer chances in comparison to the Heat. There are no real threats in the Eastern Conference, so the Heat will be more rested to take on whoever is coming out of the war-zone that is the Western Conference playoffs. Lebron James is having another stellar season, and he alone makes the Heat the number one team to beat. However, Dwayne Wade is a key factor in making the team nearly unbeatable. Wade has missed 28 games this season, and most of the time those were rest days to reduce the wear and tear on his knees to save them for the playoffs. Right now, Wade’s looking healthy and ready for battle.

MOHAMED: Well technically this question is a bit of a misnomer because by definition, Monta Ellis wins it all, but going past that technicality, I’ll pick the Spurs for everything I described earlier, plus I feel either the Heat or Pacers of this year are a worse team that what the 2013 Heat were while the Spurs are humming in a Spursian like fashion, nearly akin to what we saw from them two years ago.

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